April 22 - Paul II Anton Esterházy de Galánth; Yehudi Menuhin; Kathleen Ferrier (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 22rd may be found here: Alfred Burt (2019), Ethel Smyth (2021), Joshua Rifkin, and Glen Campbell (2021), Giuseppe Torelli (2022), and Alfred Burt (2023)

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Prince Paul II Anton Esterházy de Galántha (22 April 1711 – 18 March 1762) was a Hungarian prince, soldier, and patron of music from the Esterházy family.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Duty

The Esterházy princes (Paul Anton, then from 1762 to 1790 Nikolaus I) were musical connoisseurs who appreciated his work and gave him daily access to his own small orchestra. During the nearly thirty years that Haydn worked at the Esterházy court, he produced a flood of compositions, and his musical style continued to develop. – Wikipedia, s.v. “Joseph Haydn”

Paul, the Prince of Esterhazy,

Earns a mention here because he

(In the year before he died)

Hired Haydn to provide

Music for the palace band,

Which Haydn did, at his command;

And then, for decades, answered “yes sir”

To Nikolaus, old Paul’s successor.

 

 

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Yehudi Menuhin (22 April 1916 – 12 March 1999), was an American-born British violinist and conductor who spent most of his performing career in Britain. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fruition

The talent of the young Yehudi Menuhin

Was recognized by everyone as genuine;

An assessment which was reaffirmed as truth

When Menuhin was long in the tooth.

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Kathleen Ferrier (22 April 1912 – 8 October 1953) was an English contralto singer who achieved an international reputation as a stage, concert and recording artist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thoughts

It’s hard to think of singer Kathleen Ferrier

As one who made a music party merrier.

Contraltos by the nature of their voices

Must make the best from their restricted choices;

Not everyone is giddy and delirious,

And there are those who thrive on being serious.

But higher things in art were not a barrier

For someone with the soul of Kathleen Ferrier.

 

 

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